But Obama campaign press secretary Ben LaBolt said that’s not good enough.

“I could put the president’s birth certificate on my forehead and Mr. Trump wouldn’t accept that the president was born here in the United States,” LaBolt said in his own MSNBC interview. “It raises a question that’s come up before during this campaign as to whether Governor Romney will embrace the extreme voices in his party or stand up to them.”

If we elect Mitt Romney, remember this day when we knew for sure he would sell his soul to the highest bidder, no matter what that person stood for. Now imagine a Romney White House.

***

FEHRNSTROM: I can’t speak for Donald Trump, Gloria, but I can tell you that Mitt Romney accepts that President Obama was born in the United States. He doesn’t view the place of his birth as an issue in this campaign. We have many serious challenges facing this country dealing with jobs in the economy. That’s where we should center our discussion. And as I said, you know, Mitt Romney has made it clear that this is not an issue for him.

CNN HOST GLORIA BORGER: So why is Mitt Romney sort of throwing a party with Donald Trump to raise money?

FEHRNSTROM: Well, you know, not too long ago, Jay Carney, the spokesman for the White House, made a statement which I think is correct. That statement was that a candidate can’t be responsible for everything that their supporters say. And in this case, Mitt Romney has made it clear that the place of the president’s birth is not an issue for him. He accepts the fact that he was born in Hawaii. And we have many important challenges facing our country, and that’s what we’d rather talk about.

***

None of this will matter a whit by the time voters do their duty in November.

But it offers an interesting contrast with the blink-and-it’s-over kerfuffle that surrounded the resurfacing last week of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright…

The Wright controversy “was adjudicated four years ago,” said Republican strategist Don Sipple, back when Americans were just getting to know Obama and character witnesses were welcome, wanted even. But after watching him for 3½ years in the White House, voters have seen enough to make their own judgments, without the need for others to vouch for or vilify the president. Summoning Wright forth at this point “just looks like someone trying to drag it out of the past for political advantage,” Sipple said.

Ah, but Trump! Still fresh. Still topical. Still featured in prime time. And so the Romney campaign was forced Friday to restate the candidate’s acknowledgment that, yes, Obama was born in the United States and, yes, there are more important issues to discuss than fringy questions about his opponent’s origin.

***

Romney doesn’t have to agree with Trump for this to hurt him. The middle-of-the-road voters who Romney and Obama are fighting over don’t think Obama is a secret Kenyan. In fact, they like Obama, on a personal level. Romney often reminds those voters that he likes Obama, too. So if the media, during this news-starved lull in the campaign, begins to focus on how Romney is pallin’ around with a birther, it might be kind of a turnoff for a key group of people.

Is it worth it?

***

Thinking I must be missing something here, I checked with a couple of top GOP operatives. “I got nothin’,” one says. Another offers the Godfather theory for dealing with Trump: “Yes, it reinforces the ‘I have wealthy friends’ stereotype,” the Republican strategist says. “And whenever Trump says something stupid it’s magnified 10-fold, so there are serious downsides to it. But in the end you would rather embrace it—like the Godfather line about keeping your enemies close.” It’s better to have Trump running amok inside the tent than causing trouble outside of it, in other words. Trump, remember, has floated the idea of a third-party candidacy, which could only serve to divide the anti-Obama vote (a December Public Policy Polling survey had Trump pulling 19 percent in a three-way race with Obama and Romney, with 7 in 10 of his supporters coming from Romney’s column). “We’d rather have Donald Trump saying ‘you’re hired’ than ‘you’re fired,” the strategist says.

***

Trump appeals to the non-political, entertainment-oriented demographic that makes up a large portion of the electorate. I’m talking about the people who bypass the national news in favor of reality shows which they watch religiously. I’m talking about the people who care far more about celebrity gossip and daytime judge shows than they do about the health of the U.S. economy and geopolitics. These are the very same people who are more likely to vote for candidates based on personalities, gut feelings or whims, rather than on merits. Sadly, they may very well be the most important voting block in our country because they are both sway-able and vast in number…

People certainly aren’t blind to Trump’s barefaced pompousness, but they also don’t begrudge him for his wealth the way President Obama’s campaign so desperately wants Americans to begrudge Mitt Romney. For the most part, the common man admires Trump’s success, and perhaps is even inspired by him to pave their own path to prosperity. Some of that conception surely comes from the platform of Trump’s Apprentice television series, but it also comes from the way he handles himself when speaking publicly. He’s a seasoned capitalist who speaks in blunt, politically-incorrect terms and makes no apologies for his success. The public doesn’t ask him for apologies either, because with him, they get it. If Mitt Romney could somehow absorb that gift, I’m sure he would. But that’s not going to happen… at least not in the next six months.

Thus, for the entertainment-driven demographic, Trump might just be a good, informal surrogate for the Romney campaign – an Entertainment Czar for lack of a better term. It wouldn’t be all that dissimilar to how Mike Huckabee used Chuck Norris during his 2008 primary bid – a move that, in my opinion, won Huckabee the Iowa Caucus.

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bazil9 on May 28, 2012 at 1:18 AM…
…I hate it when the Hollywood folks and Sports figures get political.
In business…some of these CEOs that get paid big bucks while the companies go belly up…should not get the golden parachutes…and I recent that…but you get CEOs like the fellow at Ford Motor Company that cane from Boeing …who has talent at what he does and is compensated for it…but that is BAD.
Actors and Actresses can be paid millions per picture… but oh it is their talent and draw for compensation… and that’s good!(If the picture makes money or not) Same thing with sport figures…some whether they preform or not…why do we care what they have to say?

You are after all who you associate with. I will stand by that. I said the same thing about many of 0’s connections prior to the election. Of course I was told it didn’t matter, there was a nice crease with tingles. Trump is Trump. Why is Rmoney™ meeting with him? Well I don’t don’t lets speculate. Business. Its just Business. Or is it Business™ ?

I caught the group doing the song live on a morning show when the recording was released. Went out and bought the disc directly. Absolutely brilliant. I was so impressed by Aoife O’Donovan I did a little research and wound up buying Crooked Still’s Shaken By A Low Sound.

the emotions of fear, greed and safety are very strong. Look at WI. Greed of the PEUs…fear of losing the safety of their benes and perqs.

illogical? big time. looks like they’d be perfectly happy for WI to go down the tube rather than make any ‘shared sacrifices’ But this is the US. Many groups are just like the PEU, the damage has been done.

Now everything will be a ‘clawback’ or ‘give back’…that’s why some, like some guy on the tv said, we are goin down. there is no way to stop it until we run out of money. Illogical? yeah.

Actors and Actresses can be paid millions per picture… but oh it is their talent and draw for compensation… and that’s good!(If the picture makes money or not) Same thing with sport figures…some whether they preform or not…why do we care what they have to say?

KOOLAID2 on May 28, 2012 at 1:39 AM

I have never understood why these vapid stars think we care about their opinions anymore than they care about ours. I buy their music or watch sports or the movies because they are good.
As for their pathetic lives or opinions, I already have my own. :)

O/T…cane_loader had a family member in La. that dissappeared…Michaela Shunick…they just featured her missing on FOX NEWS…

KOOLAID2 on May 28, 2012 at 1:45 AM

Hey, Kool. Was it a family member? I thought it was a girl from their tight-knit community. I know he spent many hours in his boat helping to search for the girl. I was hoping to see him today and ask if there was any progress.

Evenin’ RC. Yes, I sincerely hope they find her. Glad to see it getting some larger coverage. Did he also say America’s Most Wanted had picked up the story, or am I remembering incorrectly? (happens all too frequently these days)

“I don’t know if I can breathe the same air as Him & his Right Wing Fascist Homophobic Women Hating Tea Bagger Masters.”

She called us Teabaggers, she loves us, she really loves us. Maybe I load one of her tunes. Never mind. I’ll pass actually. Let me channel The Donald for just a moment. Ick. I’m not sure which was worse channeling The Donald or thinking about Cher.

O/T…cane_loader had a family member in La. that dissappeared…Michaela Shunick…they just featured her missing on FOX NEWS…

KOOLAID2 on May 28, 2012 at 1:45 AM

Jumping back in just for this singular post.

Not to jump to conclusions just yet, but I certainly hope she hasn’t been killed. There will be reminisces (sp) of a murder that happened on that campus about 13 years ago. It’s my alma mater, but I also remember it because some people half-jokingly said I fit the description of the suspect.

ULL’s been in the news before. If I remember correctly, one of the 93 Trade Center bombers had gone to school or at least taken some classes there.

Good Night All. Sorry I couldn’t play. Down Twinkles. Holiday. No that doesn’t read quite right. The Holiday is lovely. The down twinkles are for not being able to stay and play. Don’t think for a moment its because I don’t cherish y’all.

…nah!…he’s lurking!…he was starting the usual…make a few general comments…address a couple of posters by name…politely draw them in…and after a while…oh 50 or 90 posts later… start insulting them…
Has a new cyberhome…said he would visit us in a couple of months…but wants to take over a thread every day since saying goodbye?…so…nah! I was ready to be a d!ck to every one of you that bit his worm…(cuz I don’t like to be a pain in the arse…but I can do it!)

Heh. Not me Kool–I never feed trolls.
(I don’t have any kids, but I’ve taken care of some before. The easiest way to stop a tantrum is to completely ignore it. Give in and they own you. Just like trolls.)

I meant to comment on Trump, but I made a comment about hypocrisy on the left, and it was on to the chit-chat.

Personally, I’ve always thought Trump was a bit of an assclown. Still, there are plenty of folks who have a lot of respect for him and his opinions. He is rich, and Rmoney still has less cash than Odumbo.

As for the media making a big deal about it (Trump and his majesty’s birth certificate), I don’t see any sensible independent not voting for Romney because Trump supports him.

Still, it will be a long and slogging campaign, with Romney and his people having to defend every association (I wonder if they’ll go back to kindergarden?), while Odumbo gets a pass–or should I say, “Puff, puff, pass?”

One of my favorites that the left pulls is when they scream FREE SPEECH! My response is that they are indeed free to express their true thoughts and feelings. I, in turn, am free to decide that I will not longer pay money to see them perform. This leads to their cries of CENSORSHIP! Noooo. The government is not censoring them at all.

They do not understand that words and actions have consequences. They are FREE to express their stupid opinions, but they have no right to whine when those stupid opinions cost them.

*closing windows…locking doors…leaving night light on for morning crew (never did this before)…left it clean!…started the coffee …but didn’t have time to leave you doughnuts…
.
.
.Memorial Day morning…bless you veterans…past and present!

We, the living, are blessed by the sacrifice of those who have stood to protect our freedoms and our liberty.

I believe that Romney and Trump get that.

I doubt that Obama does.

The value of friendship goes beyond political liability.

Romney and Trump are friends and can accept each others’ faults.

Obama and Wright were useful tools to each other until their utility ended and then the tool gets put under the bus.

These are things that go to the core of who we are, our better angels and lesser demons. They are all protected by the sacrifice for us, it is up to us to decide where we want to be as individuals so we can be a better people.

LaBolt said in his own MSNBC interview. “It raises a question that’s come up before during this campaign as to whether Governor Romney President Obama will embrace the extreme voices in his party or stand up to them.”

You first fudgenutz..

When Obama tells his superpac to return Maher’s million dollar check with a “keep your dirty money you cheap vulgar hack”… card attached…..

He might then have the moral ground to stand on when complaining about Trump. Obama has stone cold refused to return money from his craziest backers.. When he does.. we’ll talk till then we’ll just use Obama’s favorite answer.

Jay Carney, the spokesman for the White House, made a statement which I think is correct. That statement was that a candidate can’t be responsible for everything that their supporters say.

Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue. – Barry Goldwater
Trump fights hard and speaks his mind. Nothing is off limits. I for one am glad he’s on our side.

We are. I can imagine an anybody but Obummer WH. Oh, happy day. Does it matter what Trump says since we’ve seen the original birth certificate on prezzy’s web site? The AG of AZ is satisfied and any other AG anywhere who asks will get satisfied. This is just another piece of the big ball of wax that makes up the former life of dear leader and leaves us with more questions than reality. Just the way he wants it. Now, if Trump wants to jump to the foreign student box being checked, I’d send him a donation.

“I could put the president’s birth certificate on my forehead and Mr. Trump wouldn’t accept that the president was born here in the United States,” LaBolt said.

Oh, is that right? But the thing is, you haven’t put it on your forehead. You haven’t put it anywhere. All you’ve done is posted a phony pdf file on the internet. That’s why we’re still asking to see it, you weasel.

Well, it did happen. There was a lot of handwringing over Palin having pizza with the guy from a lot of the same people who are praising Trump now as a good possible asset to Romney’s campaign. Want to deny that?

ddrintn on May 27, 2012 at 9:54 PM

However, this has nothing to do with the topic at hand in this thread, now does it? You have a real, real hard time staying on topic when the topic doesn’t suit your views, dontcha darlin’?

ManWithNoParty on May 27, 2012 at 10:18 PM

LOL, hilarious. I’m sorry I missed this one last night. You mean I make a comment about Trump and the ‘bot handwringing and tsk-tsking over Palin’s having pizza with the guy in a thread about the value of Romney’s association with Trump…and some anal-retentive tells me that in a thread that’s usually mostly links to music vids on YouTube I’m off-topic.

These are things that go to the core of who we are, our better angels and lesser demons. They are all protected by the sacrifice for us, it is up to us to decide where we want to be as individuals so we can be a better people.

Romney is comfortable with Donald Trump because Trump is rich and media savvy and thus is presumed to be intelligent — all things that Romney values for better or worse.

I thought that Obama very badly mishandled the natural born citizen issue, and so I thought that Obama deserved the birther controversy. Respect for the U.S. Constitution means establishing that you meet the constitutional requirements for the office of the President. McCain disclosed his birth certificate and hospital records and hired two prominent lawyers (one a liberal and one a conservative) to opine that McCain met the constitutional requirements for the office of the President, which those two lawyers did opine. Obama tried to hardball it.

The Average American deserves leadership that respects them, not Rulers that take every advantage. We deserve citizen-soldiers, and part-time Congresspeople that have accomplished something in life besides being elected by moochers to “bring home the bacon”. We deserve honesty. We deserve accountability. We deserve frugal, judicious use of the heavy taxes we pay – tax money taken from the mouths of our hungry children.